Resilience and Change: Making Stress Work For You Mary Steinhardt - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Resilience and Change: Making Stress Work For You

Mary Steinhardt The University of Texas at Austin

Stressful Situations

Homeostasis

(protective factors)

Succumb

“GIVE UP”

FAILURE

Diminished (stuck in a rut)

“PUT UP”

FLOUNDERING

Resilience (recovery)

“BOUNCE UP”

FOCUSED, FLEXIBLE, FLOWING

Thriving (growth)

“STEP UP”

FLOURISHING (sustainability)

Disruption (overwhelmed)

Coping Strategies We Use

PROBLEM-FOCUSED COPING (engage)

Action

Planning Positive Reframing Acceptance Using Social Support

EMOTION-FOCUSED COPING (disengage)

Denial

Behavioral Disengagement Self Distraction Self Blame Venting

How do the coping strategies we use link to the four responses?

Stressful Situations

Homeostasis

(protective factors)

Succumb

“GIVE UP”

FAILURE

Diminished (stuck in a rut)

“PUT UP”

FLOUNDERING

Resilience (recovery)

“BOUNCE UP”

FOCUSED, FLEXIBLE, FLOWING

Thriving (growth)

“STEP UP”

FLOURISHING (sustainability)

Disruption (overwhelmed)

Disruption “Chaos”

Take Responsibility Empowering Interpretations Meaningful Connections

Thriving (growth)

FLOURISHING

Resilience

(Strong Foundation)

FOCUSED, FLEXIBLE, FLOWING

We’re vulnerable (fragile) We have tremendous potential to grow

Homeostasis

Stressors “Difficult Situations”

The Responsibility Model RESPONSIBILITY

Owning your power to choose and create

Shame Make Excuses Lay Blame Denial

B’s:

Be kind Be patient Be smart Be a model, not a critic Be a light, not a judge Be part of the solution, not the problem

Circle of Concern Circle of Influence

Complain Criticize Condemn Compare Compete

Control Continuum

No Control T

• t

a l C

• n

t r

• l

Adapt Act Influence

• 1. Watch a replay of the stressful situation,

as if you are watching a movie.

• 2. Identify your position on “the

responsibility model.”

• 3. Ask your heart how you feel about the

movie you watched.

• 4. Create a new movie - an image of what

you want to happen.

• 5. Take responsibility for producing the

new movie.

Five-Step Process to Help You Move “Above the Line”

How Will You Take Responsibility?

(within your circle of influence and puts you in control)

RESPONSIBILITY

• wning the power of choice and creation

Shame Make Excuses Lay Blame Denial

The Resilient Individual…

Takes Responsibility

Owning the power of choice and creation.

Focuses on Empowering Interpretations

Placing attention on understanding situations, events relationships, etc. in ways that bring power to as

• pposed to ways that diminish power.

Has Meaningful Connections

Seeking and maintaining relationships which create

• r add a great deal of significance to a person’s life.

Stressor Primary and secondary appraisal processes Let it go Feel Threatened Feel Challenged Increased health Increased risk of illness

(Is it important?) (Is it worth doing something?) (Do I have the resources necessary to handle the situation effectively?)

How Our Thinking Relates To Our Health

ABCDE Model

Adversity or activating event Belief - what you think Consequences - how you

feel & behave

Dispute or distract/distance Energy

Disempowering Interpretations All-or-Nothing Thinking Overgeneralization Negative Mental Filter Jumping to Conclusions Magnify or Minimize Situations Emotional Reasoning Labeling Eight Ways Our Thinking Hurts Us

The Resilient Individual…

Takes Responsibility

Owning the power of choice and creation.

Focuses on Empowering Interpretations

Placing attention on understanding situations, events relationships, etc. in ways that bring power to as

• pposed to ways that diminish power.

Has Meaningful Connections

Seeking and maintaining relationships which create

• r add a great deal of significance to a person’s life.

The Rescuing Hug

Meaningful Connections Activity

People you see daily

YOU

People you see weekly People you see monthly

daily weekly monthly

Strong Foundation Of Resilience: Things That Once Bothered You Will Not Bother You As Much

Strong Foundation Of Resilience: Some Things May Still Bother You As Much But You Will Recover More Quickly

The Importance of Self-Leadership

Self Leadership

Adams,T., Bezner, J., Steinhardt, M. (1997). American Journal of Health Promotion, 11: 208-218.

Spiritual Life Purpose Physical Energy Social Connectedness Psychological Optimism Intellectual Stimulation Emotional Centeredness

Self-Leadership Calm

Clarity Curiosity Compassion Confidence Creativity Connectedness Contentment

An active, compassionate inner leader containing the perspective, confidence and vision necessary to lead an individual’s internal and external life harmoniously and sensitively (Schwartz, 1995).

As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Courage

THRIVING (growth) flourishing

> 4

The Importance of Positivity Diminished

(stuck in a rut)

floundering < 3

Positive emotions fuel resilience and undo or down-regulate the negative effects of stress.

RESILIENCE (recovery) focused, flexible, flowing >3 (tipping point) Succumb

(depressive symptoms)

failure < 1

Stu Study 1 y 1: T : The Bu e Buildin ilding an g and Bu d Buff fferin ering g Ef Effect cts of s of Posit Positive Emot Emotions ions

Postdoctoral ¡Experience ¡& ¡Well-­‑Being ¡Survey ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡The ¡University ¡of ¡Texas ¡at ¡Aus?n ¡ Note: ¡*p<.05, ¡**p<.01, ¡***p<.001 ¡ ¡

Resilience

The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges

• 1. Optimism: belief in a brighter future
• 2. Facing Fear: an adaptive response
• 3. Moral Compass, Ethics, & Altruism:

doing what is right

• 4. Religion & Spirituality: drawing on faith
• 5. Social Support: seeking & accepting support
• 6. Role Models: providing the road map
• 7. Training: physical fitness & strengthening
• 8. Brain Fitness: challenge your mind and heart
• 9. Cognitive & Emotional Flexibility
• 10. Meaning, Purpose, and Growth